Beauty and the Beast Clip: No One’s Slick as Gaston

As Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast creeps ever closer to its opening weekend more and more clips have been emerging. Many of the clips are from the live-action versions of the original animated film’s iconic musical numbers. That includes the opening sequence ‘Belle’, with Emma Watson strolling through the movie’s version of the French countryside, as well as Emma Thompson, as Mrs. Potts, singing the eponymous song.

Disney has now released another musical clip from the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast. The one is from the song ‘Gaston’ and largely focuses on Josh Gad (Frozen) as Le Fou, singing his own verses from the larger musical number.

This ‘Gaston’ clip is the most audiences have seen out of Le Fou to date and Josh Gad’s Broadway experience (see Book of Mormon), really shines through in this clip – in everything from his voice to his over-the-top choreography. Luke Evans (The Hobbit trilogy), also gives a peek at his singing chops as Gaston toward the end of the clip.

Joining Watson to complete the Beauty and the Beast title is Legion’s Dan Evans who will mostly not be on screen looking like himself. Beloved characters Lumiere and Cogsworth are being played by Ewan McGregor and Ian McKellen, respectively. McKellen and Luke Evans have actually worked together before, on The Hobbit film trilogy. Beauty and the Beast is directed by Bill Condon who is no stranger to movie musicals, having directed Dreamgirls in 2006. He too has worked with McKellen before, on the Oscar-winning Gods and Monsters, as well as the 2015 film Mr. Holmes.

This ‘Gaston’clip is sweet and Gad very capably handles Le Fou’s vocal acrobatics, but beyond that there is very little originality to be found. By setting up Beauty and the Beast as a (near), shot-for-shot remake of the 1991 version, then there isn’t a lot audiences can see here that they haven’t seen before.

On the other hand, last year’s live-action The Jungle Book remake (which is also largely faithful to its Disney animated predecessor) is now an Oscar-winning movie – one that has paved the way for what Beauty and the Beast is going to be. If viewers are looking for a revisited piece of their childhood, then they will surely enjoy this quick look at ‘Gaston’ and are likely primed to have a wonderful time being a guest of the film theater.